You need to go to the cemetery after Easter. When do they go to the cemetery after Easter according to Orthodox tradition? The priests answer - to Radonitsa

It is known that God has everyone alive, but many believe that visiting a cemetery on Easter is tantamount to sin. We will tell you whether it is possible to remember the dead on this day or whether you should refrain from doing so.

For a long time, people have been divided into two camps: some consider Easter an occasion to honor the departed, others argue that this is unacceptable, even sinful. It is worth understanding the essence of the holiday.

Servants of God explain that Easter is the “day of the dead,” since according to legend, Jesus descended into the underworld to tell about eternal life and the salvation of the human race. And then he was resurrected.

So is it possible or not to go to the cemetery on Easter?

The tradition of visiting the cemetery appeared in Soviet times, when many churches were closed and mentioning faith was punished by the authorities. People wanted to share the holiness of this holiday with their loved ones, but it was difficult to get to church. Therefore, the alternative found to meet at graves turned into some kind of tradition. Many drank at the cemetery and left food on the tombstones: colored eggs and Easter cakes, in order to honor the memory of their relatives. However, now this is equated with paganism, and any excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages is generally unacceptable on this day, especially in a cemetery.

In our time, clergy are calling for the restoration of church foundations. It is necessary to stay in the temple on the day of Christ's Easter, chant and praise the Savior. A special holiday is set aside for visiting the cemetery - Radonitsa, on which you can go to the cemetery and honor the memory of those who passed away. Radonitsa occurs on the ninth day after Easter, it is at this time that it is worth mourning and remembering the departed.

What happens if you still go to the cemetery?

The Church does not forbid visiting the cemetery on days of rejoicing, especially if the soul is eager to honor the memory of loved ones and relatives. However, given human psychology, you should refrain from such visits. Not everyone will be able to accommodate joy and sorrow at the same time, but Easter day should first of all be enjoyed, abandoning all worries.

Therefore, priests are urgently asked to refrain from visiting graves and holding funeral services at them. True Orthodox people do not violate this canon and spend Easter in joy, and on Parents’ Day they already share this with the departed.

It is also known that if a person dies on Easter, this is considered God’s favor. Even the funeral service on this day takes place according to a special, Easter rite, which means great mercy in the “other world.”

Visiting a cemetery on a Holy Day will not be considered a sin, but you will not receive permission from the church to do so. It is especially worth noting that Easter is a day of joy, of which there is not much in our world anyway. Do not darken this day with grief: this may have a bad effect on your condition over the next year. It is better to visit the cemetery and pray for the deceased on the holiday designated for this - Radonitsa. be happy and don't forget to press the buttons and

13.04.2017 07:25

Parents' Saturdays are widely known among the people. These days it is customary to go to cemeteries and remember...

Easter is the most joyful and great Orthodox holiday. Therefore, on this day it is best to go to church, and then gather with your closest and dearest people for festive table. However, many people on this day prefer to visit the graves of relatives. This is due to the fact that in Soviet time It was not possible to attend church on Easter, but people had a need to gather on this day to share joy and happiness. Let's figure out when you need to go to the cemetery - on Easter or on Krasnaya Gorka, based on church norms and rules.

Is it possible to go to the cemetery on Easter?

Easter is a holiday of joy and miracle, so it is better to spend it in a church rather than in a cemetery. Priests recommend that on this day you refuse to visit the graves of deceased relatives, but come a week later on a specially designated day for this. This day is called Red Hill or Radonitsa.

You can start visiting the graves of your relatives on Saturday after Easter. Officially, Red Hill is celebrated on Sunday, but Saturday is a common day throughout the year when it is necessary to remember deceased relatives. Therefore, many people prefer to visit the cemetery on the first Saturday after Easter. For residents big cities this is a practical necessity. After all, it’s quite difficult to go around all the cemeteries if relatives are buried in more than one place on Sunday.

However, most people go to cemeteries on Sunday. Although in some villages the day for visiting the graves of deceased relatives is the Monday after Krasnaya Gorka. On this day you should go to the cemetery with prayers, flowers, Easter cakes and dyes. However, only prayers and flowers should be left at the cemetery. Official church against leaving food and sweets in the cemetery, and even more so against drinking alcoholic beverages on the territory of the cemetery or turning the final resting place into a picnic area. Easter cakes, sweets, colored eggs and other treats are prohibited from being left in graves. It is best to distribute them to people in need so that they remember your deceased relatives.

Why you need to go to the cemetery on Krasnaya Gorka

The priest’s answer will help clarify the question of whether it is possible to go to the cemetery on Krasnaya Gorka. Church officials do not recommend visiting the graves of the dead on Easter Day. IN Holy holiday It is customary to rejoice and have fun among the living, and not to visit the dead.

In addition, on Easter, the souls of the dead descend from heaven to visit living relatives and remain among us throughout the week. Therefore, there is no need to visit the cemetery to read a prayer for the repose. However, after the end of Easter week, the souls of the deceased must be escorted back. That is why it is customary to go to the cemetery and remember deceased relatives there.

When choosing the most suitable day to go to the cemetery, many believers forget about the existence of special memorial Saturdays, when it is necessary not only to go to remember the dead, but also to order a service in the church. However, many believers forget about this opportunity, therefore, as a rule, they visit the graves of deceased relatives only on Krasnaya Gorka.

Many people visit the cemetery before Easter, for example, to clean up after winter. Isn't this against the rules? According to church canons, you can visit the graves of the deceased on any day before and after Easter. It is forbidden to do this only on Easter itself. After all, every believer should rejoice on Easter. And visiting a cemetery in any case evokes sad thoughts that are not allowed on this day.

However, if it is not possible to visit the grave of the deceased both before and after Easter, it is best to do it on the Red Hill holiday, which was specially created so that every believer could visit deceased relatives and read a prayer at the cemetery.

Why and when to visit graves before Easter

Visiting the graves of deceased relatives on Krasnaya Gorka is a traditional event in which all Orthodox people take part. However, many people prefer to go to the cemetery before Easter.

This is due to the fact that during Lent there are four parent or memorial Saturdays. And precisely on these days, according to church canons, it is necessary not only to go to the cemetery, but also to order a service in the church for the repose. In addition, on memorial Saturdays, it is recommended to read prayers for the repose not only at the graves of deceased relatives, but also in the temple.

Traditions and customs

Easter is the most joyful and bright Orthodox holiday, associated with many rituals, traditions and signs, about which there are constant disputes not only between the clergy, but also among ordinary believers. One of the topics of debate is the optimal day to place the graves of the deceased. During the time of the ban on churches, believers went to the cemetery on Easter. But this was due to the inability to visit the temple.

According to church canons, visiting the cemetery is not allowed on Easter. This can be done before or after the great holiday. Before Easter you can visit the cemetery for cleaning work, as well as parents' Saturdays, and after the Resurrection of the Lord it is necessary to visit the resting place of relatives on Krasnaya Gorka. It is not recommended to remove garbage from graves earlier than two weeks before Red Hill, otherwise, during the absence of visitors, grass will have time to grow at the tomb, and the grave will lose its neat appearance.

However, the main and compulsory visit The cemetery takes place on Krasnaya Gorka, which is most often celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. However, in some regions it is customary to go to the cemetery on Saturday or Monday.

Why you can’t go to the cemetery on Easter, the priest’s answer to this important question Many believers are amazed. Oddly enough, many people don’t even know that on Easter from the point of view Orthodox religion, going to a cemetery is completely wrong.

This is even considered a great sin, because this bright holiday is the first in a series of forty holidays, you need to spend it among your family and among close relatives who are still alive. Easter is, first of all, a holiday of the living. What not to do in

Where did the ban come from?

It must be said that the tradition of going to the cemetery on Easter appeared among believers in Soviet times. Back then, as you know, religion was banned, traditions were not passed on from generation to generation, and often there was simply no one to turn to for advice on what and when to do right. Consequently, during this period, people who believed in God tried to at least somehow preserve traditions: as best they could.

In order to somehow celebrate Easter, people sought to visit the cemetery on this day so that they could calmly share their joy with their already deceased relatives. At least they definitely won’t hand over to the KGB and write a complaint. But now, when religion is again held in high esteem and every person who reaches out to God has the opportunity to find out about everything, ask questions, and observe the rituals correctly, we must remember that Easter is a bright holiday, it is a holiday of living people.

Easter Day celebrates the fact that Jesus Christ rose from the dead and on this day it is necessary
think only about something good, be happy. Rejoice that Jesus Christ has risen and thereby proven that there is no death, there is only a transition to eternal life, to the Kingdom of God. Easter is precisely a holiday of life, but not of death. Over the next few weeks there will be a special day set aside for this when you need to go to the cemetery with the good news. But this is not done on Easter itself.

When to go to the cemetery in honor of Easter

Why you can’t go to the cemetery on Easter, we’ve already received the priest’s answer. Now let’s look at exactly what day specifically in church calendar allocated to go to Easter with the bright news of the Resurrection of Christ. Here we're talking about about Tuesday, the second Tuesday after the holiday. That is, not in Easter week, and immediately after it. It's a big memorial day for Orthodox year, it even has its own special name - Radonitsa or Radunitsa. In some countries, this day is an official holiday. Options, .

We must also understand that for us the people who lie in the cemetery are dead, but for Christ every soul, regardless of whether the body lives or not, is alive. So, in principle, there is no big difference for the Lord with what a person wants to be Christed: with a living relative or a dead one.

About church canons

It should be noted regarding why you can’t go to the cemetery on Easter, the priest’s answer is that there are, of course, no strict prohibitions here according to church canons. If a person wants to think about deceased people and remember them on Easter, then no one will forbid this. But here you should remember that, if possible, it is better to postpone the remembrance until a special day set aside for this.

In some sources today you can find information that the custom of going to the cemetery on Easter appeared long before October revolution. IN Tsarist Russia many ancestors lived in rural areas, the roads there were bad. The temple, as a rule, was built next to the cemetery. So, in order to avoid going far to the same place twice, many immediately after the Easter service went to the graves of their ancestors to lay a colored egg there and congratulate their deceased relatives on the holiday of Easter. Many believe that the tradition of visiting the cemetery on Easter developed in this way.

Still, if you read modern church literature or talk to a priest, it will be noted that you should not go to the cemetery on Easter itself. This holiday is not a day of sorrow; one should rejoice and have fun on Easter. Moreover, now, after a long Lent, this can finally be done. It is worth remembering that already on the second Tuesday after Easter, there will be Radonitsa day. It is on this day that you need to go to the cemetery to inform your deceased relatives, friends and loved ones that Christ has risen from the dead. Great way, .

Why you can’t go to the cemetery on Easter, the priest’s answer suggests that it is best to postpone this trip until a special memorial day. I would like to remind you that at the cemetery, according to Orthodox tradition, no need to carry food: dead people For whom only the soul is alive, human food is not needed. However, you can take a painted egg with you to the cemetery as a symbol of Easter and eternal life after death.

Easter is the most main holiday per year.

If someone dies, and death on Easter is traditionally considered a sign of God’s mercy, then the funeral service is performed according to the Easter rite, which includes many Easter hymns.

To visit the cemetery, the Church appoints a special day - Radonitsa (from the word joy - after all, the Easter holiday continues), and this holiday is celebrated on the Tuesday after Easter week.

On this day, a funeral service is served and believers visit the cemetery to pray for the departed, so that the Easter joy will be passed on to them.

IT IS IMPORTANT! People began to visit cemeteries on Easter only during Soviet times, when churches were closed. People who felt the need to gather and share joy could not go to churches, which were closed, and went to the cemetery on Easter instead of going a week later. The cemetery seemed to replace a visit to the temple. And now, when churches are open, therefore this Soviet-era tradition cannot be justified, it is necessary to restore the church tradition: to be in church on Easter Day and celebrate the joyful holiday, and to go to the cemetery on Radonitsa.

It must be remembered that the tradition of leaving food Easter eggs on the graves is paganism, which was revived in the Soviet Union when the state persecuted the right-wing faith. When faith is persecuted, severe superstitions arise. The souls of our departed loved ones need prayer. From a church point of view, the ritual when they place vodka and black bread on the grave, and next to it a photograph of the deceased, is unacceptable: this, speaking modern language– a remake, because, for example, photography appeared a little over a hundred years ago: this means that this tradition is new.

As for commemorating the dead with alcohol: any kind of drunkenness is unacceptable. The Holy Scriptures allow the use of wine: “Wine makes glad the heart of man” (Psalm 103:15), but warns against excess: “Do not get drunk with wine, for there is fornication in it” (Eph. 5:18). You can drink, but you can't get drunk. The deceased need our fervent prayer, our pure heart and sober mind, alms given for them, but not vodka.

How the dead are remembered on Easter

On Easter, many people visit the cemetery where the graves of their loved ones are located.

Unfortunately, in some families there is a blasphemous custom of accompanying these visits to the graves of their relatives with wild drunken revelry. But even those who do not celebrate pagan drunken funeral feasts at the graves of their loved ones, which are so offensive to every Christian feeling, often do not know when on Easter days it is possible and necessary to remember the dead. The first commemoration of the dead takes place on the second week, after St. Thomas Sunday, on Tuesday.

The basis for this commemoration is, on the one hand, the remembrance of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, connected with the Resurrection of St. Thomas, and, on the other, the permission of the Church Charter to carry out the usual commemoration of the dead, starting with St. Thomas Monday. According to this permission, believers come to the graves of their loved ones with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ, hence the day of remembrance itself is called Radonitsa.

How to properly remember the dead

Prayer for the departed is the greatest and most important thing we can do for those who have passed on to another world.

By and large, the deceased does not need either a coffin or a monument - all this is a tribute to traditions, albeit pious ones. But forever alive soul the deceased experiences a great need for our constant prayer, because she herself cannot do good deeds with which she would be able to appease God. That is why prayer at home for loved ones, prayer in the cemetery at the grave of the deceased is the duty of everyone Orthodox Christian. But commemoration in the Church provides special help to the deceased.

Before visiting the cemetery, you should come to the church at the beginning of the service, submit a note with the names of your deceased relatives for commemoration at the altar (it is best if this is a commemoration at the proskomedia, when a piece is taken out of a special prosphora for the deceased, and then as a sign of washing away his sins will be lowered into the Chalice with the Holy Gifts). After the Liturgy, a memorial service must be celebrated. The prayer will be more effective if the one commemorating on this day himself partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is very useful to donate to the church, give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the departed.

How to behave in a cemetery

Arriving at the cemetery, you need to light a candle, perform a lithium (this word literally means intense prayer. To perform the rite of lithium when remembering the dead, you need to invite a priest. Then clean the grave or just be silent, remember the deceased. There is no need to eat or drink in the cemetery, especially It is unacceptable to pour vodka into the grave mound - this insults the memory of the dead. The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread on the grave “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families. There is no need to leave food on the grave; it is better to give it to the beggar or the hungry.

When can you go to the cemetery:

*on the day of the funeral;

*on the 3rd, 9th and 40th day after death;

*every year on the day of a person’s death;

*V memorial days– Monday and Tuesday of the week following Easter;

*Meat Saturday, the week preceding Lent;

*2nd, 3rd and 4th Saturdays of Lent;

*Trinity Saturday - the day before the feast of the Holy Trinity;

*Dmitrov Saturday is the first Saturday in November.

When not to go to the cemetery:

*Orthodoxy does not encourage visiting the graves of relatives on Christian holidays such as Easter, Annunciation and Christmas;

*Trinity is also not celebrated in the cemetery. On Trinity they go to church;

*it is believed that there is no need to go to the churchyard after sunset;

*women are not advised to visit the place of the dead during pregnancy or menstruation. But this personal choice every representative of the fair sex.

Some sources report that it would be wrong to go to his tomb on the birthday of the deceased. You can just remember him kind words, among the family and loved ones of the deceased.

Upon arrival at the grave positive action will light a candle to remember the deceased. You should not drink or eat near the gravestone. Host a memorial dinner at home.

Do not step on or jump over graves. There is no need to touch other people's graves or restore order there, unless the relatives of the person buried there have asked you to do so.

In the case when you dropped something on the dead ground, it is better not to pick up this thing. If the fallen object is very important to you, when you pick it up, put something in its place (candies, cookies, flowers).

When leaving the cemetery, do not turn around, much less do not return. When you come home, wash your hands thoroughly (or better yet, do this at the cemetery), be sure to wash off the cemetery soil from your shoes, and wash the tools you used to clean the grave.

Based on materials from the news agency "Orthodoxy and Peace"

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Easter is the most important holiday of the year.

The Church, taking into account the psychology of people, separates days of celebration and days of sadness. The joyful rejoicing that the Church communicates to believers at Easter is separated from the mood of sadness that accompanies the remembrance of the dead. Therefore, on Easter Day you are not supposed to go to the cemetery and not perform a funeral service. If someone dies, and death on Easter is traditionally considered a sign of God’s mercy, then the funeral service is performed according to the Easter rite, which includes many Easter hymns. To visit the cemetery, the Church appoints a special day - Radonitsa (from the word joy - after all, the Easter holiday continues) and this holiday is celebrated on the Tuesday after Easter week. On this day, a funeral service is served and believers visit the cemetery to pray for the departed, so that the Easter joy will be passed on to them.
IT IS IMPORTANT!

People began to visit cemeteries on Easter only during Soviet times, when churches were closed. People who felt the need to gather and share joy could not go to churches, which were closed, and went to the cemetery on Easter instead of going a week later. The cemetery seemed to replace a visit to the temple. And now, when churches are open, therefore this Soviet-era tradition cannot be justified, it is necessary to restore the church tradition: to be in church on Easter Day and celebrate the joyful holiday, and to go to the cemetery on Radonitsa. We must remember that the tradition of leaving food and Easter eggs on graves is paganism, which was revived in the Soviet Union when the state persecuted the right-wing faith. When faith is persecuted, severe superstitions arise. The souls of our departed loved ones need prayer. From a church point of view, it is unacceptable from a church point of view a ritual when vodka and black bread are placed on the grave, and next to it is a photograph of the deceased: this, in modern language, is a remake, since, for example, photography appeared a little over a hundred years ago: this means that this is a tradition new. As for commemorating the dead with alcohol: any kind of drunkenness is unacceptable. The Holy Scriptures allow the use of wine: “Wine makes glad the heart of man” (Psalm 103:15), but warns against excess: “Do not get drunk with wine, for there is fornication in it” (Eph. 5:18). You can drink, but you can't get drunk. And I repeat again, the deceased need our fervent prayer, our pure heart and sober mind, alms given for them, but not vodka. How the dead are remembered on Easter Days Many people visit the cemetery on Easter, where the graves of their loved ones are located. Unfortunately, in some families there is a blasphemous custom of accompanying these visits to the graves of their relatives with wild drunken revelry. But even those who do not celebrate pagan drunken funeral feasts at the graves of their loved ones, which are so offensive to every Christian feeling, often do not know when on Easter days it is possible and necessary to remember the dead. The first commemoration of the dead takes place on the second week, after St. Thomas Sunday, on Tuesday. The basis for this commemoration is, on the one hand, the remembrance of the descent of Jesus Christ into hell, connected with the Resurrection of St. Thomas, and, on the other, the permission of the Church Charter to carry out the usual commemoration of the dead, starting with St. Thomas Monday. According to this permission, believers come to the graves of their loved ones with the joyful news of the Resurrection of Christ, hence the day of remembrance itself is called Radonitsa. How to properly remember the departed Prayer for the departed is the greatest and most important thing we can do for those who have passed on to another world. By and large, the deceased does not need either a coffin or a monument - all this is a tribute to traditions, albeit pious ones. But the eternally living soul of the deceased experiences a great need for our constant prayer, because it itself cannot do good deeds with which it would be able to appease God. That is why prayer at home for loved ones, prayer in the cemetery at the grave of the deceased is the duty of every Orthodox Christian. But commemoration in the Church provides special help to the deceased. Before visiting the cemetery, you should come to the church at the beginning of the service, submit a note with the names of your deceased relatives for commemoration at the altar (it is best if this is a commemoration at the proskomedia, when a piece is taken out of a special prosphora for the deceased, and then as a sign of washing away his sins will be lowered into the Chalice with the Holy Gifts). After the Liturgy, a memorial service must be celebrated. The prayer will be more effective if the one commemorating on this day himself partakes of the Body and Blood of Christ. It is very useful to donate to the church, give alms to the poor with a request to pray for the departed. How to behave at the cemetery Having arrived at the cemetery, you need to light a candle and perform a lithium (this word literally means intense prayer. To perform the rite of lithium when commemorating the dead, you must invite a priest. A shorter rite, which can also be performed by a layman, is given in “Complete Orthodox prayer book for the laity” and in the brochure “How to behave in a cemetery”, published by our publishing house). Then clean up the grave or simply remain silent and remember the deceased. There is no need to eat or drink in a cemetery; it is especially unacceptable to pour vodka into a grave mound - this insults the memory of the dead. The custom of leaving a glass of vodka and a piece of bread at the grave “for the deceased” is a relic of paganism and should not be observed in Orthodox families. There is no need to leave food on the grave; it is better to give it to the beggar or the hungry.